Gaivie apparatus



(No Model.)

J. D. JACKSON. GAME APPARATUS.

110.454,358, Patented June 16,1891.

ma vx.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JOHN I). JACKSON, OF BAY CITY, MICHIGAN.

GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 454,358, dated June 16,1891. Application tiled March 19, 1891. Serial No,385,6l3. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, JOHN D. JACKSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bay City, in the county of Bay, State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of whichthe following is a specication, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in game apparatus; and the objectof the invention is to provide a game apparatus for the amusement ofboth children and grown people, which is easily operated and cheaplyconstructed.

Another object of the invention is to arrange a game apparatus foramusement, which will provide occupation for all of the participantstherein at the same time.

The invention consists in aboard provided with a race or channel otconvolute form, begining at its inner end with a circular space having adial provided with numbers, an index pivoted tothe center of the dial,and ending at its outer end with a tangential portion containing a ballfor moving in the race or channel, and provided With a plunger actuatedinwardly by a spring for imparting motion to the ball, and a series ofspring-operated gates placed at intervals along the outer circle of thetrack for stopping the ball at the will of the players.

The invention also consists in the combination, arrangement, andconstruction of the device and its several parts, which'will be fullyexplained hereinafter, and Will also be explicitly designated in theclaims of this speciiication.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanyin g drawings, in which-Figure l represents a plan view of my improved game apparatus. Fig. 2 isa vertical section of the same, taken at Figs. 3 and 4 are verticalsections of Fig. l, taken at y y, showing the operating parts indifferent positions. Fig. 5 is a section showing the gates enlarged.

The same letters of reference are used in the several views to designatethe same parts.

a is a board of a suitable dimension, and beneath its outer edges aresecured the pieces h for supporting the board, and upon the surface ofthe board is arranged a race or channel c of convolute form, beginningwith a circular open central space d containing a dial upon the surfaceof the board, and after surrounding the space d several times the raceor channel terminates with a straight tangential portion e. This race orchannel o is arranged and formed by a strip f of any suitable materialbent to a convolute form with continuous coils, and is secured with oneedge upon the surface of the board, leaving a continuous annular spacebetween the coils forming the race.

IVithin the tangential portion e is arranged a plunger g, provided witha rod 71, which reaches through an opening i in the partj, which closesthe outer end of the race, and the rod extending beyond the part j isprovided with a knob 7e', and within the race a spring Zis coiled aroundthe rod and is arranged with one end bearing against the plunger, whilethe opposite end thereof bears against the piece j, so that as the knobis operated to draw the plunger outward the spring will be compressed,and when the knob is released the recoil ot the spring returns theplunger' to its original position with great velocity until the knobcomes in contact with the piecej.

Upon the surface of the board, within the part e, is arranged anupwardly-inclined bed portion mf, which extends beyond the plunger, anda cover 'a is secured to the upper edges of the lateral sides o of thepart e, and this cover extends to some distance along the outer curvedportion of the race as well, and directly in front of the plunger anopening p is arranged in the cover for the admission of a ball q infront of the plunger and upon the extended portion ot' the incline ym..At intervals around the outer circle ot the convolute are located gatesr, and these gates are composed of the vertical sides s, which pass downthrough the board beside or through the strip fon opposite sides of therace7 and the upper ends of these vertical sides s are connected by abar t, to which is secured an upwardly-projecting knob u.,while t' is abar or stop extending across and be- IOO tween the vertical sides at apoint below the bar t and in a position to allow the ball Q to passbeneath when the gate is raised to a normal position, but to'obstruc'tthe path of the ball when the vertical sides are moved downwardly bypressing upon the knob u, and beneath the board thedownwardly-projectin'g ends w of the sides s are turned inwardly, and aspringz is arranged to actuate the gate upwardly to a normal position.

W'ithin the central space d and upon the surface of the board isarranged a dial or index plate a', with suitable numbers arranged aroundits outer portions, and b is an index or pointer pivoted by its middleto the center of the dial, and with one arm c arranged as a pointer orindex-linger, while the opposite arrn is provided on its outer portionwith an upwardlyextending wing d', arranged for Contact with the ballwhen it comes within the space d by way of the race c. The wing portionis preferably arranged, when the index is inra normal position, so as tobe located on the side of the space opposite the entrance e of the raceto the spaceY d, so that the ball entering the space d from the race isdirected against the wing d', so as to move the index on its pivot inthe best manner.

The operation of the apparatus -is as follows: The participants in thegame are arranged around the board, which is intended for four players,three of whom operate the gates @while the fourth operates the knob fordrawing the ball through the race. The ball being in position upon theincline m in front of the phinger, the knob 7c is operated to withdrawthe plunger and compress the spring, the ball following down theincline, and the knob is then released and the ball is driven along Vtherace c at great speed, and each of the first-named players attempts tostop the passing ball by quickly moving his particular gate downwardafter the release of the knob, and the ball being intercepted counts anumber for the person operating the intercepting gate, while should theball pass theV gates without contact it passes through the race, entersthe space d,comes in contact with the wing d', and moves the index tosome number on the dial, which number is' counted for the player makingthe shot. Vhen one player has made the prearranged number of shots, theboard is turned for the next player to make his shots, while the oneshoot-ing before operates one of the gates for intercepting the ball,each gate counting for its operator according to its location inrelation to the plunger, as a gate Ynear the plunger is more difficultto operate to intercept the ball than one farther away.

The counting can be arranged in any convenient manner, as desired by theplayers, and it will be seen thatc the parties playing the game are alloccupied, and each is interested with his own particular part of thesport, as when operating the gates as much attention is required to makea count as when operating the plunger to drive the ball,and the severallocations of the gates and the'constant changes from one to another ofthe several operations provide a game which, while all are interestedand amusedtnone can be so expert as to win more than another, nor canthe ball be manipulated by peculiar blows or other movements to countmore for an expert player than for a novice in the game.

It will be understood, of course, that other in place of the plunger andspring for ac tuating the ball, and the gates for arresting the ball maybe omitted, if preferred, as the apparatus can be operated without thesedevices and a fair and amusing game can be played by counting the pointsindicated by the index-finger upon the dial when the in: dex has ceasedto move, so that I do not confine my invention entirely to theseparticular parts as being altogether essential.

Having described the construction and operation of my improvement, whatl claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a gaine apparatus, the combination, with the board having acentral space of circular form, of a trough or race of a convolute formwith one end opening into the said central space, and with its outer endterminating in a tangent and provided with a plunger, a ball in front ofthe plunger, and means for actuating the plunger for Vpropelling theball through the convolute race, substantially as set forth.

2. In a gaine apparatus,the combination, with a board having on itssurface a central circular space containing an index plate or dial, andan index-linger pivoted in the center of the dial, of a continuous raceor trough of convolute form surrounding and opening into the saidcentral space, and with its outer end terminating with a tangentialportion, a plunger within the tangential portion and provided with anoutwardly-extending rod and a spring for actuating' the plungerinwardly, a ball in front of the plunger for moving through the race, aseries of gates arranged at intervals across the outer coil of the saidrace, and springs for raising the gates to allow the ball to pass,substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, in a game apparatus, of the board a, with a strip fof convolute form secured by its lower edge to the surface of theboardand provided with Va continuous annular race c between the convolutionsof the strip, a circular space d atthc inner end of the strip having adial, an index b, pivoted upon the dial and provided on one end with awing portion d', a tangen- -well-known devices may be used, if desired,8o

IIO

In Witness whereof I hereunto aix my signature in presence of twowitnesses:

JOHN D. JACKSON.

Witnesses:

J. M. MAXON, JAS. E. THOMAS.

